Financial support for graduate students within LFS typically comes from one or more of four basic sources: merit-based awards administered by the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (including Affiliated Fellowships and LFS Departmental Awards), teaching and research assistantships, need-based awards, and direct awards from external agencies such as the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
All newly admitted graduate students in research-based MSc and PhD program are supported by a minimum funding package at $16,000/year for 2 years for M.Sc. students and $24,000* for each of the first 4 years for PhD students, provided they maintain good academic standing.
The funding package may consist of any combination of external or internal scholarships/fellowships/awards, tuition awards (with the exception of the UBC International Tuition Award), research assistantships, teaching assistantships, or income from other academically related work at UBC (e.g. graduate administrative assistantships, lectureships). Students are expected to be proactive in applying for awards and scholarships.
Tuition, Fees & Cost of Living – Graduate School – University of British Columbia – Vancouver – Canada (ubc.ca)
Students pay their fees online through the Student Service Centre.
All graduate students are responsible for keeping up-to-date in paying tuition and student fees until the completion of their program.
GRADUATE TUITION FEES
Tuition at UBC is one of the lowest in Canada and lower than most international universities. More…
GRADUATE STUDENT FEES
All UBC students pay mandatory fees related to student facilities, student governments, the UPASS transit pass and health insurance. More…
COST OF LIVING
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“GRAs are generally supported by the student's supervisors' research grants. The duties usually constitute part of the students’ graduate degree requirements. The entire stipend is considered to be a scholarship, the conditions of which may be specified by the granting agency. GRA appointments may be for any specified period satisfactory to the grantee. The stipend must be paid monthly or for a specific period.”
https://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/managing-your-program/graduate-research-assistant-gra
Please discuss GRA funding availability with your potential supervisor.
Teaching and Research Assistantships are intended to provide students with an opportunity to learn and develop skills in a classroom setting. Student appointments may involve part-time duties in teaching, research, or other academic activities. The online application for available TA positions is open from March to April 30th each year. Successful applicants are appointed during the summer for the following Winter Session.
The Faculty offers various TA, Tutor and Marker positions - check the Job Postings for details.
"The objective of the Canada Graduate Scholarships-Doctoral (CGS D) Program is to promote continued excellence in Canadian research by rewarding and retaining high-calibre doctoral students at Canadian institutions. By providing support for a high-quality research training experience to awardees, the CGS D program strives to foster impacts within and beyond the research environment.”
Annual Value: $35,000
Citizenship: Canadian, Permanent Resident
Deadline: Applicants – September 13, 2024 at noon PT
Note: In addition to the CGS D, each agency has its own doctoral awards. Refer to the appropriate literature for CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC for further details. Meritorious CGS D applicants may also be eligible for agency-specific doctoral awards. Applicants complete and submit one application to be considered for both a CGS D scholarship and an agency doctoral award (exception: CIHR DFSA). CGS D scholarships are offered to top-ranked eligible applicants. Some eligibility requirements for CGS D differ from those of the agency-specific doctoral awards.
CIHR: Online application system | application instructions
Annual Value: $35,000 (stipend per year)
Deadline: September 13, 2024 at noon PT
Further information: CIHR health research training award programs page
NSERC: Online application system | application instructions | application tutorials
Annual Value: $21,000
Deadline: September 13, 2024 at noon PT
Further information: NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships – Doctoral program
- NSERC: Transcripts are now uploaded by applicants themselves directly into their NSERC online application; university staff do not upload transcripts into the online application system on behalf of applicants. Previously, applicants selected a "university designate" staff member at UBC to upload their transcripts, but now applicants upload their own transcripts.
SSHRC: Online application system | application instructions
Annual Value: $20,000
Deadline: September 13, 2024 at noon PT
Further information: SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships
The deadline for students to submit their CGS-Master's applications via the Research Portal is before 5 PM (PST) on Thursday, 1 December 2024. This deadline is set nationally and is not flexible; UBC has no administrative authority/means to extend the deadline for applicants.
“The objective of the Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master's (CGS M) Program is to help develop research skills and assist in the training of highly qualified personnel by supporting students who demonstrate a high standard of achievement in undergraduate and early graduate studies. The CGS M Program provides financial support to high-calibre scholars who are engaged in eligible master's or, in some cases, doctoral programs in Canada.”
Annual Value: $17,500
Citizenship: Canadian, Permanent Resident
Deadline: Applicants – December 1, 2024
Eligibility, Evaluation Criteria, Application Procedures, Nomination Procedures, Adjudication Procedures, Profiles of Award Holders
Further information: Tri-Agency Harmonized CGS M website
The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies offers approximately 50 Affiliated Fellowships each year to meritorious students for full-time study and/or research leading to a graduate degree. Awards are made on the basis of academic excellence, with applications open to current and prospective full-time UBC graduate students regardless of citizenship or visa status.
Affiliated Fellowships Doctoral Program
The UBC Affiliated Fellowships Doctoral Program competition runs in concert with the Canada Graduate Scholarships-Doctoral (CGS D) Program.
Annual value: $175 - $40,000
Application Deadline: September 2025
Eligibility: Canadian, Permanent Resident, International student
Affiliated Fellowships Master's Program
The UBC Affiliated Fellowships Master's competition runs in concert with the Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master's (CGS M) Program.
Annual Value: $175 - $16,000
Deadline: December 2025
Citizenship: Canadian, Permanent Resident, International
The Four Year Doctoral Fellowship (4YF) program will ensure UBC's best PhD, DMA, and MDPhD students are provided with financial support of at least $18,200 per year plus tuition for up to four years of their Doctoral studies. This program allows UBC to continue to attract and support outstanding domestic and international Doctoral students, and provide those students with stable, base-level funding for their Doctoral studies and research.
Annual value: $18,200 plus full tuition. The Faculty of Land and Food Systems awards up to four new 4YF’s a year to top-ranking PhD students.
Eligibility: Canadian, Permanent Resident, International student
Degree Level/Application Status: Doctoral / Incoming & continuing students*
In early February each year, supervisors/potential supervisors will be asked to invite current/prospective PhD students to apply for 4YF funding.
To be eligible for the 2025-2026 4YF competition, students must have:
- submitted a complete application to Graduate Studies for a September 2025 start date and are either pending a decision or have been accepted or
- been accepted for May 2025 or
- started their PhD program in January 2025 or
- completed no more than 12 months in their program
- if you started in September 2024 your 4YF can start in either May or September 2025
- if you started in May 2024, your 4YF must start in May 2025
Please check back in early 2025 for competition timeline and deadlines.
“The Graduate Support Initiative is a system for funding graduate students through entrance scholarships, multi-year funding packages, tuition awards and scholarship top-ups.”
Program Advisors in LFS are responsible for selecting and nominating graduate students within their programs. Criteria for eligibility include, but are not limited to, academic merit and student financial need. Awards appear as “Faculty of Land and Food Systems Graduate Award” on student’s transcript.
Annual value: Award amounts are determined by Program Graduate Advisors.
Eligibility: Canadian, Permanent Resident, International student
Degree Level/Application Status: Master’s and Doctoral / Incoming & continuing students.
Application deadline: Students do not apply for this award; they are nominated by their supervisor and/or Program Graduate Advisor.
Up to 15 Trudeau Scholarships are awarded each year to support doctoral students pursuing research in one or more of the four themes: human rights and social justice, responsible citizenship, Canada and the world, and humans and their natural environment. Trudeau Scholars are highly gifted individuals who are actively engaged in their fields and expected to become leading national and international figures.
Trudeau website: Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation webpage.
Annual value: Up to $40,000 stipend plus up to $20,000 research and travel allowance per year for three years
Eligibility: Canadian, Permanent Resident, International students
Degree Level/Application Status: Doctoral / Incoming & continuing students
Application deadline: Applicant deadline: December 2025
The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) program is designed to attract and retain world-class doctoral students by offering them a significant financial award to assist them during their studies at Canadian universities. Vanier Scholars demonstrate leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and health-related fields. Canadian and international students are eligible to be nominated for a Vanier Scholarship, which is valued at $50,000 per year for up to three years.
Annual value: $50,000/year for up to 3 years
Eligibility: Canadian citizens, landed immigrants (permanent residents), and international students are all eligible for Vanier Scholarships. Please see the Vanier CGS website for complete eligibility criteria.
Degree Level/Application Status: Doctoral / Incoming & continuing students
Application procedures: link here.
Application deadline: September
Indigenous Graduate Fellowships are multi-year funding opportunities for master’s and doctoral Indigenous students.
Annual value: Master’s students, $17,500, plus tuition, Doctoral students: $18,200, plus tuition.
Eligibility: All Indigenous students are eligible to apply, but priority is given to Indigenous students whose traditional territory falls at least in part, within Canada. This includes Canadian First Nations, Metis or Inuit students and may include Indigenous students from Alaska and other U.S. states. The University may request further information to confirm Indigenous identity.
Degree level: Master’s and doctoral students
The IGF also offers the following opportunities:
- Indigenous PhD students in their fourth year to apply for a fifth year of funding and
- research Master’s and PhD students to apply for research funding.
Annual internal application deadline: February
There are a number of annual awards that recognize outstanding Master of Science theses and doctoral dissertations.
MSc Thesis Awards
LFS Top Master's Thesis Award: An award in the amount of $500 is awarded to the top Master’s thesis of the academic year. Applicants must also apply for the Governor General’s Gold Medal.
Governor General’s Gold Medal: One gold medal is awarded to the graduate student who has achieved most outstanding academic record as a Master’s student completing a thesis. This is an opportunity to honour the best in the graduating class within the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, as there is only one award for more than 2,000 Master’s graduates. Medals are presented on behalf of the Governor General of Canada by participating educational institutions, along with a personalized certificate signed by the Governor General. There is no monetary award associated with the medals.
- LFS internal application deadline: February 2025 . Please check back in early 2025 for confirmed details.
- UBC Deadline: March 2025 .Please check back in early 2025 for confirmed details.
PhD Dissertation Awards
LFS Top Dissertation Award: An award in the amount of $750 is awarded to the top doctoral dissertation of the academic year. Applicants must also apply for the CAGS/Proquest Distinguished Dissertation Awards.
CAGS/ProQuest-UMI Distinguished Dissertation Awards: The CAGS-ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award recognizes Canadian doctoral dissertations that make unusually significant and original contributions to their academic field. They were established in 1994 and are presented annually by the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS), with sponsorship support provided by ProQuest.
There are two awards: one for engineering, medical sciences and natural sciences; and one for fine arts, humanities and social sciences. Winners of this award will be granted a $1,500 cash prize, a certificate of recognition, and an opportunity to attend the annual CAGS Conference, typically held in November.
Annual value: $1,500, certificate of recognition, plus travel expenses to the next CAGS conference.
Eligibility: Canadian, Permanent Resident, International student
Degree Level/Application Status: Doctoral student
LFS internal application deadline: February 2025 Please check back in early 2025 for confirmed details.
This is a firm deadline; no late or incomplete applications can be accepted.
UBC Deadline: March 2025 Please check back in early 2025 for confirmed details.
For further information, please visit the CAGS website.
Governor General’s Gold Medal: One gold medal is awarded to the student who has achieved the most outstanding academic record as a doctoral student. This is an opportunity to honour the best in the graduating class within the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, as there is only one award for more than 500 doctoral graduates. Medals are presented on behalf of the Governor General of Canada by participating educational institutions, along with a personalized certificate signed by the Governor General. There is no monetary award associated with the medals.
- LFS internal application deadline: February 2025 . Please check back in early 2025 for confirmed details.
- UBC Deadline: March 2025 .Please check back in early 2025 for confirmed details.
UBC Dissertation Prize: Three prizes of $1,000 each have been made available annually by the University of British Columbia for students whose doctoral dissertations are of exceptional quality and originality and make a significant contribution to the scholarly field and/or society. One prize will be offered in each of the following fields: social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and health sciences. The prizes are made on the recommendation of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and recipients will be chosen from nominations to the CAGS/Proquest Distinguished Dissertation Awards competition.
Annual value: 3 prizes of $1,000 each
Eligibility: Canadian, Permanent Resident, International student
Degree Level/Application Status: Doctoral student
Application: No application; recipients will be chosen from nominations to the CAGS/Proquest Distinguished Dissertation Awards competition
UBC Deadline: Likely March 2025. Please check back in early 2025 for confirmed details.
The Faculty administers several scholarships and awards of varying values ($75 - $30,000). These scholarships and awards are generally awarded for academic achievement, but some may require achievement in other areas such as leadership, community service, performance in a specific course or area, or for some other specified characteristic. All students enrolled in LFS graduate programs are considered for funding, as appropriate to their field and academic achievement. Funding for all LFS "Departmental Awards" (Major or Minor) is provided through endowments, annual funded awards, or program funding. In order to acknowledge the contributions of our many donors, we strongly encourage all award winners to write a thank you letter and send it to the Awards inbox (awards.development@ubc.ca). These messages will be forwarded on the student's behalf.
Students are required to submit an application to be considered for LFS Department Awards. The majority of these awards are assigned by the end of September.
NOTE: The 2025-26 LFS Department Awards competition will open in early to mid summer, 2025. The application and reference form will be available then.
Major LFS Department Awards are awards valued at $10,000 or more.
Minor LFS Department Awards are awards valued at less than $10,000.
Available awards can be found on the UBC Award Search website.
LFS Graduate Student Travel Award Submission Instructions
The LFS Graduate Student Travel Award (LFS GSTA) is funded through a generous $1.4 million endowment bequeathed to LFS from the estate of Ursula Knight Abbott. The award is intended to help defray costs incurred by research-based graduate students for attending and presenting a research paper or poster describing their thesis research at a scientific meeting/conference, held by a professional society, outside the Lower Mainland.
Award value: $1750
Eligibility
- Student must be full-time, registered graduate students (cannot be on leave).
- Canadian, Permanent Resident, International
- Research-based programs only – Master’s, Doctoral
Submission deadline
- LFS GSTAapplications are accepted year-round.
- Applications must be submitted within one month following the conference/travel end date.
- Students who have completed their program can apply up to six months following their program
- completion date.
Restrictions
- This award is only for conferences/travel outside the Lower Mainland.
- No advancements can be made nor can reimbursements, transfers etc., be made to anyone other than the student listed on the LFS GSTA application.
- If you claim per diems, please refer to UBC’s policy, and adhere to the regulations.
- For accounting reasons, August 20th is the last day to submit an application for current funding period.
- MSc students: may claim one award per degree program.
- PhD students: may claim up to two awards per degree program (students who transfer from MSc to PhD are eligible for a maximum of two LFS GSTA’s in total).
- PhD students can only claim one travel award during each funding period (September 1 to August 31).
Instructions
- Please complete the LFS GSTA application and submit it directly to lfs.gradasst@ubc.ca.
- Your application must include proof of attendance/presentation.
- This is an Award processed by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (G+PS). You will be notified when your award has been processed, typically, within 7-10 business days from submission.
Processing Expectations
Applications are processed twice a month. Applications submitted by 4pm on the 1st or 3rd Thursday of the month will be processed by the LFS Graduate Program Assistant the next day. Please note: final approval and payout can take to 1-2 weeks during non-peak award times.
Students who have claimed their maximum number of LFS GSTAs may email the Graduate Manager, LFS G&PS, lfs.gradmgr@ubc.ca to request consideration for additional awards. These requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis and will be dependent of availability of funding.
If you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the LFS Grad Office at lfs.gradasst@ubc.ca.
Bursaries are non-repayable awards that are given to students on the basis of financial need. At UBC, there are the following two bursary programs available: General Bursaries: UBC’s General Bursary program is designed to help fill your “unmet need,” which is the gap between your educational costs and your available government assistance. This program covers most bursaries available to UBC students, although it is separate from the Major Entrance Awards. If you’re entering UBC directly from secondary school, you should consider applying for both the bursary program and the Major Entrance Awards. Affiliation Bursaries: There are many different Affiliation Bursaries. Eligibility for these bursaries is usually determined by connection to a specific club, trade union, company, geographic region, or demographic group. The requirements for each bursary are unique. Each bursary has its own eligibility requirements. In addition, there is an application process (including deadlines) for all UBC bursaries. Bursary application are not administered through the LFS Grad Office nor are we ever informed of or publicize recipient information due to the confidential nature of bursaries.
Please refer to the UBC Bursary page to determine your eligibility for bursaries and for information on the application process.
The following is a list of bursaries for Land and Food Systems students:
| # | Award and description | More information |
|---|---|---|
| 08418 | Olive and B.K. (Keith) ACTON Memorial Bursary Bursaries totaling $6,100 have been endowed by Olive Acton in memory of her husband, B.K. (Keith) Acton, for students in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems.Go to top |
More information about Olive and B.K. (Keith) ACTON Memorial Bursary |
| 08260 | Gilmour and Marjorie CLARK Bursary in Agricultural Sciences Bursaries totalling $1,600 have been endowed by Gilmour and Marjorie Clark for students in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems.Go to top |
More information about Gilmour and Marjorie CLARK Bursary in Agricultural Sciences |
| 08095 | Dave DIAMOND Bursary A $250 bursary has been endowed through a bequest by David Diamond for graduate or undergraduate students in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems.Go to top |
More information about Dave DIAMOND Bursary |
| 08205 | FACULTY Women's Club Violet Eagles Bursary A $1750 bursary has been endowed through the bequest of Violet Eagles, Ph.D (University of Toronto), supplemented by donations from the Faculty Women's Club. It recognizes Violet Eagles' contribution as past president and longtime member of the Faculty Women's Club, her teaching contribution to the Faculty of Agriculture, and her outstanding personal qualities. The award is offered to a female graduate student in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems.Go to top |
More information about FACULTY Women's Club Violet Eagles Bursary |
| 08620 | Gareth and Mae SHERMAN Memorial Bursary Bursaries totalling $4,150 have been made available through an endowment established by the Estate of Violet Mae Shearman (1940-2015). The bursaries will be awarded to undergraduate students who have completed their first year of studies in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the Vancouver campus. Preference will be given to students from the North Okanagan. Mae Shearman was extremely proud of being a UBC graduate, having graduated with a Bachelor of Home Economics in 1963. She grew up in the North Okanagan and struggled financially to complete her education at UBC. This award is designed to support students who would have a similar background to that of Mrs. Shearman's. Gareth (Gary) and Mae Shearman were married for over 42 years.Go to top |
More information about Gareth and Mae SHERMAN Memorial Bursary |
| 08502 | Indrajit DESAI Memorial Bursary Bursaries totalling $2,700 have been endowed by Manjula Desai in memory of her husband Professor Emeritus Dr. Desai. He was appointed to the Family and Nutritional Sciences program in 1969 and worked at the University for 33 years. The bursary is awarded to a student in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems studying as an undergraduate in Nutrition & Health or a graduate in the program in Human Nutrition. Recommendations are made by Enrolment Services.Go to top |
More information about Indrajit DESAI Memorial Bursary |
| 07954 | Dr. H. R. MACCARTHY Bursary in Plant Science One or more bursaries totalling $5250 have been endowed for needy undergraduate or graduate students who have made good academic progress in studies or research in Plant Science. Adjudication is made by Enrolment Services.Go to top |
More information about Dr. H. R. MACCARTHY Bursary in Plant Science |
| 08373 | Marvin A. TUNG Memorial Bursary Bursaries totalling $400 have been endowed by friends, family and colleagues in memory of Marvin A. Tung, a graduate and former professor of Food Science (1970-1986) at UBC. The bursaries are awarded to students enrolled in either an undergraduate program majoring in Food Science, or in a graduate program in Food Science with preference for those specializing in Food Process Science.Go to top |
More information about Marvin A. TUNG Memorial Bursary |
| 07822 | Ernest G. SHERWOOD Bursary Bursaries totalling $10,900 have been endowed from a gift of Ernest G. Sherwood, of Richmond, B.C. The bursaries are provided for students who have satisfactory academic standing and are worthy and deserving of encouragement and support. Preference is given to students in Agriculture or Mathematics.Go to top |
More information about Ernest G. SHERWOOD Bursary |
| 07852 | VANCOUVER Horticultural Society Bursary One or more bursaries totalling $1000 have been endowed by the members of the Vancouver Horticultural Society to assist students who have completed at least one year in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems and are in the Plant Science option.Go to top |
More information about VANCOUVER Horticultural Society Bursary |
Scholarships, Awards and Funding
- https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/scholarships-awards-funding
- http://www.students.ubc.ca/finance/graduate-students/types-of-financial-support/#Scholarships&awards
- Awards Search
- Awards FAQ
- Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies Resources for Award Applicants: Includes links to funding databases, tips and best practices, workshop and presentation materials and sample application materials.
A number of University awards for upcoming academic year are available to current and incoming graduate students.
Annual Value: $150 to $16,000
Eligibility: See www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/spring-graduate-awards-competition
Financial distress
If you’re facing unexpected financial distress or have had a significant change to your financial situation, contact an Enrolment Services Advisor (ESA).